Brick

On Ben Folds Live, Folds explained: "People ask me what this song's about... I was asked about it a lot, and I didn't really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn't really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who's gone through that before, then you'll know what the song's about." Folds has also said that neither teen wanted their parents to know, so Ben ended up taking most of the presents he received that Christmas and selling them at a pawn shop so he and his girlfriend could afford the abortion.

With a quirky piano-driven sound that doesn't fit neatly into a format, Ben Folds Five (who were actually a trio) had a hard time getting airplay until this song got noticed by a mainstream audience. This came at a price, as the band had to play a lot of radio station concerts as a favor for the airplay. Folds hated these shows, as the fans were usually there just to hear this song, and he had to suffer indignities like a DJ asking onstage which one of their girlfriends had the abortion. Commercial radio was not a good fit for Ben Folds Five, and none of their other songs got any significant airplay. However, the internet was good to Ben Folds, and with the advent of iTunes it became clear that his music was enjoyed by legions of fans who were happy to download it. He has since been very successful in expanding his fanbase online while getting very little attention at record stores and radio stations. He no longer plays "Brick" at concerts.

The year before this came out, Folds got some attention when he played the Lollapalooza Tour, often beating the hell out of his piano onstage.